Tufting machine



J. B. FARRELL 1,924,715

TUFTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 5, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 60 John ELFEI'FEH .Aug. 29, 1933. J. B. FARRELL 1,924,715

TUFTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3, 1932 '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 54 m fi (7f WITNESSES IJNVENTOR juhnEJE'ar'r all .4 TfORNE Aug, 29, 1933. FARRELL 1,924,715

TUFTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3, 1932 4 SheetsSheet 4 WITNES -s INVENT'OR InhnEzfffarrell I H15 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 29 1933 PATENT OFFICE TUFTING John B. Farrell,

MACHINE Philadelphia, Pa.

Application August 3, 1932. Serial No. 627,349

12 Claims.

This invention relates to tufting machines, and has for an object to provide an improved means for tufting simultaneously a plurality of rows of either loose or cut tufting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine having a vertically moved needle bar carrying a plurality of needles, each of which is adapted to form with the associated mechanism a loop, and with means for severing the loop at each stitch when a cut fabric is to be produced.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for feeding the fabric through the needle position.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved hook means for engaging the loops formed by the needles and move such'loops into engagement with a cutting organization.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for actuating said hooked device.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for severing the loops after I, forming.

The invention therefore comprises a frame having a needle bar movable relative thereto and transversely of the bar with 'means for moving, means for furnishing the necessary thread to the needles for coaction therewith, a plate carrying hooks equal in number to the number of needles employed, said hooks being in position to engage loops formed by the needles with the severing means coacting with the hooks, with the further modification of a looper plate substituted for the hooked plate holding the loops formed by the needles until such loops have been properly formed, and then releasing them to form a loop tufted fabric.

The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Figure 1 is a view of the machine in front elevation, parts being broken away,

Figure 2 is a view of the machine in end elevation, parts being broken away,

Figure 3 is a view of the machine in top plan, parts being broken away,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the operation of the device,

stripper plate showing the relative positions of the needles,

Figure 9 is a top plan view of a fragment of the hook plate,

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view through the hook plate,

Figure 11 is a detail sectional view, showing the substitution of the looper plate for the hook plate,

Figure 12 is a view in elevation of the feed rollers, and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary view in plan of the looper plate and looper pins.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The improved tufting machine, which forms the subject matter of this application comprises a table20 which may be supported in any approved manner as by the legs 21 which may be of any length required. Upon this table-20 are erected spaced hollow uprights 22, terminating at the top in eccentric casings 23. Extending transversely across between the eccentric casings 23 and through a tubular connecting member 24 is a'shaft 25 which is driven from any source of power through the medium of a pulley 26. This shaft carries within'each of the eccentric casings 23 an eccentric 27 (see Figure 2) having an eccentric band 28 thereon operating a connecting rod 29 which extends downwardly and is pivoted at 30 to the needle bar 31. This needle bar 31 is operated to move vertically under the impulse'cf the eccentrics between guides 32 carried rigidly by the uprights 22.

The needle bar 31 is provided with a plurality B of vertical perforations 33 in which needles 34 are retained in any approved manner as by the screws 35. Intermediate the perforations 33 are other perforations 36 through which thread is conducted tothe needles from the spool 37.

Underlying the needle bar is the grid 38 through which the needles pass in their vertical movement as indicated by full and dotted lines at Figure 4. Above the grid 38 a stripper plate 39 is employed having means as the slots 40 for securing it in position. Between this stripper plate and the grid and also the table the fabric 41 which is being tufted is conducted. To move this fabric with a step-by-step movement so that stitches are properly formed, rollers 42 and 43 are provided, intergeared by the gears 44. One of these rollers. as the roller 42, is provided with a plurality of pins 45 while the other roller, as the roller 43, is provided with grooves 46 to accommodate the points 45 so that as these rollers are moved by a no step-by-step movement the points 45 will engage the fabric 41 and move the same. To apply a step-by-step movement to this feeding mechanism, one of the rollers as the roller 43, is provided with a ratchet 47. A lever 48 is fulcrumed upon the shaft 49 which carries the roller 43 and also carries a pawl 50 which engages the ratchet 4'7 when the lever 48 is oscillated.

To oscillate this lever 48, linkage is provided comprising a bell crank lever 51 connected by a link 52 with the lever 48, and the opposite leg of the bell crank lever is connected by a link 53 with an eccentric band 54 carried upon the shaft 25. As the shaft rotates, therefore, the lever 48 is oscillated and the rollers advanced with a stepby-step movement.

The stripper plate 39 heretofore referred to is provided with a plurality of slots 55 through which the needles 34 move as indicated in their positions at Figure 8. The stripper plate bears upon the top of the fabric 41 to prevent its rising in response to the needles vertical reciprocation. A bar 56 also extends across the table parallel to the needle bar under which the thread from the spool 37 passes. As the needle bar rises to a position higher than this bar 56, the thread from the spool 3'7 will be unwound. As the needle bar descends, a looseness will be provided so that when the needle has passed through the fabric to the dotted line position shown at Figure 4, there will be sufficient 'slackness in the thread to form loops as the needles start to return in the well known manner of such mechanisms.

Coacting with the loops thus formed by the needle is a hook bar indicated as an entirety at 57. This hook bar is slitted at 58 to form hook members, which said hook members are themselves slitted as at 59.

These slits 59 extend adjacent to the ends of the hooks, a small amount of material indicated at 60 remaining to hold the hooks in their proper shape. These hooks are provided with a shoulder 61 which engages the loop after the hooks have been advanced to the position shown at Figure 4 where the hooks are inserted through the various loops formed by the needles. As the needles rise, the loops are drawn more or less taut against the shoulder 61 and the return movement of the hook in coaction with the feeding of the fabric 41 when released by the needle, will move the loops in the direction indicated by the arrow at Figure 4..

To actuate this hook bar, a1 ver 62 is fulcrumed at 63 with a link 64 extending o a lever 65 mounted upon the shaft 66. There is preferably, as shown, one of these organizations at each end of the machine. The shaft 66 extends through the wall of the frame and upon the exterior is provided with a lever 67. To this lever 6'7 a link 68 is pivoted which terminates in a cam follower 69 engaging a cam '70 upon the shaft 25. The shape of the cam '70 is such that it imparts to the link 68 and its cooperating parts an erratic movement which is transmitted to the hook bar. This movement provides that the hook bar shall remain at rest in its forward position as shown in full lines at Figure 4 until the needle has reached its upward movement when the hook bar will suddenly be slipped backwardly as indicated by the arrow, and will there remain at rest until the needle has descended to dotted line position and started to form a loop, whereupon, the hook bar will be moved suddenly forward to pass the hooks through the loops.

Mounted in proper relation to the hook bar is a shaft '71 which is driven in any approved part moves freely over the arc of the cutter '72,

but when the hook returns in its rearward movement, the loop held by the shoulder 61 will be brought into engagement with the perimeter of the cutter, and' will be severed. This takes place only when the needle has reached its entire upward movement so that no further stress is exerted upon the thread thus severed. When the needle again descends, it is another stitch and the thread is, of course, drawn over the tension of the fabric.

Instead of providing for the cutting of the loops, a looper replaces the hook bar. By removing the hook bar and substituting the looper bar '74 as shown at Figures 11 and 13, the looper pins '15 will slide through the loops and hold the loops until the movement of the fabric 41, as well as the return movement of the looper bar, releases the loops from such pins. As the loops will then be drawn through the grid 38, they will not come in contact with the cutter even though the cutter remained in the machine. If desired, the cutter may be removed as it performs no function when looped fabric is being made.

As it is necessary to operate the looper bar in the direction opposite to the operation of the hook bar, the lever 67 will be reversed upon the shaft 66 to the position 6'7 shown at Figure 11, and the link 68 connected therewith at such opposite position. This will serve to move the looper bar opposite to the movement provided for the hook bar when the lever 67 is a the position shown at Figure 2.

In operation, threads will be wound upon the spool 3'7, the number corresponding to the number of needles to be employed in the tufting process. It is obvious that any number of needles from one to the entire battery may be employed. The various ends are then threaded through the perforations 36 down alongside the needles 34 and through eyes of the needles.

The stripper bar 39 is then raised sufficiently to permit the passage of the base fabric thereunder, and is clamped onto such fabric with suflicient tension to prevent the lifting of the fabric. The fabric is introduced between the rollers 42 and 43. The machine is now properly threaded for operation. The driving of the shaft 25 through the medium of the eccentric 2'7 and its linkage will reciprocate the needle bar 31 vertically and transversely of said bar. This will alternately raise and lower the needles from the full line position to the dotted line position shown at Figure 4. In the usual well known manner of such devices, as the needles start to rise, loops will be formed.

The hooks which operate alongside the needles will now be moved forward to pass through the loops. The hooks will remain stationary until the needle has reached its upward limit when they will suddenly move rearwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow to bring the loops now held by the shoulder 61 into engagement with the cutter '72. The cutter '72 as has been noted, is operated through the slot of the hook so that the loop is cut at its median line. As each stitch is fo med, the operation is repeated.

When using the modification as shown at Figure 11, when the needle descends and forms its loop, the looper bar '74 will move in the direction indicated by the arrow at said figure, and the looper pins 75 will pass through the loop. The bar will remain at its forward position until the needles have been raised to their upper limit when the combined rearward movement of the looper bar and the forward movement of the fabric will release the loops from the looper pins '75.

Of course, the tufting machine herein illustrated may be modified and changed in various Ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows;

1. A tufting machine comprising a yertically reciprocatable needle bar, a horizontally reciprocatable hook bar, hooks carried by said bar, said hooks being provided with slots, cutters partly,

positioned in the slots and having arcuate movement from a fixed center, means to drive the cutters, and means to simultaneously reciprocate the hook bar and the needle bar.

2. A tufting machine comprising a vertically recipro'catable horizontal needle bar, a plurality of needles carried by the needle bar in spaced relation, a hook bar mounted to reciprocate in a horizontal plane and provided with hooks equal to the number of needles, said hooks being slitted, cutters rotating within the slits, and means to simultaneously actuate the needle bar andthe hook bar.

3. A tufting machine comprising a table having a grid, a needle bar mounted to reciprocate maintaining its constant parallel relation to the grid, needles carried by the needle bar and projected by the reciprocation through the grid, a bar mounted to reciprocate laterally in constant parallel relation to the grid, hooks carried by said bar and projected by the reciprocation beneath the grid, said hooks being slitted, and cutters mounted to rotate with an are within the slits.

4. A tufting machine comprising a table, a grid forming a section of said table, a needle bar mounted to reciprocate in constant parallel relation to the grid, needles carried by the bar and projected thereby through the grid to a position beneath the table, a hook bar mounted to slide beneath the table in constant parallel relation to the grid, hooks carried by the hook bar and projected by the reciprocation of the bar into positions laterally of the needles, said hooks being slitted longitudinally, and rotating circular cutters mounted with an are projected into the slits of the hooks.

5. A tufting machine comprising a table, a gridmotive force to both ends of and to reciprocate the needle bar and the bar carrying the loop engaging members.

6. A tufting machine comprising a table, a shaft mounted to rotate above the table, a needle bar mounted to reciprocate above the table in constant parallel relation to the table and driven by connections from both-ends of the needle bar to both ends of the shaft, a bar mounted beneath the table to slide laterallyin constant parallel relation to the needle bar, loop engaging members carried by said last mentioned bar, and means to reciprocate said last mentioned bar from the shaft.

7. In a tufting machine a hook bar having a plurality of hooks extending laterally, said hooks being slitted longitudinally with the slits extending beyond the hooks and into the hook bar and stopping short of the ends of the hooks opposite the bar.

8. A tufting machine comprising a needle bar,

a hook bar, said bars reciprocating in timed relation in planes approximately at right angles to each other, hooks carried by the hook bar and provided with slots, cutters positioned partly within the slots'and movable therein from a fixed axis, and means to drive the cutters.

9. A tufting machine comprising a needle bar carrying a plurality of spaced needles, a hook bar, said bars reciprocating in timed relation in planes approximately at right angles to each other, hooks carried by and spaced along the hook bar and provided with slots, cutters positioned partly within the slots and movable therein from a fixed axis, and means to drive the cutters.

10. A tufting machine comprising a needle bar carrying a plurality of spaced needles, a hook bar, said bars reciprocating in timed relation in planes approximately at right angles to each other, hooks carried by the hook bar and provided with slots, said hooks being not less in number than theneedles, cutters positioned partly within the slots and movable therein from a fixed axis, and means to drive the cutters.

11. A tufting machine comprizing a needle bar,

a hook bar, said bars reciprccating in timed relation in planes approximately at right angles to each other, hooks carried by the hook bar and provided with slots continued from the hooks into the bar, cutters positioned partly within the slots and movable therein from a fixed axis, and means to drive the cutters;

12. A tufting machine comprising a needle bar carrying a plurality of spaced needles, a hook bar, said bars reciprocating in timed relation in planes approximately at right angles to each other, hooks carried by and spaced along the hook bar and, provided with slots continued from the hooks into the bar, said hooks being not less in number than the needles, cutters positioned part- 1y within the slots and movable therein from a fixed axis, and means to drive the cutters.

JOHN B. FARRELL. 

